{"id":141156,"date":"2026-02-02T21:51:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/141156\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T21:51:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:51:14","slug":"our-lives-are-too-curated-its-time-to-develop-personal-taste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/141156\/","title":{"rendered":"Our lives are too curated. It\u2019s time to develop personal taste"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>College is full of discomfort, but self-discovery requires that. ORACLE PHOTO\/RACHELL ROSS<\/p>\n

USF is full of incredible opportunities to contribute to the campus community. With over 250 student organizations, there is support for almost every hobby, interest and career path.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These spaces offer students the chance to pour parts of themselves into what they do.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Identity development happens in adolescence and young adulthood, according to a 2021 study published in the National Library of Medicine<\/a><\/p>\n

For USF students, that means the time is now.<\/p>\n

This points to a key part of any USF student\u2019s journey \u2014 asking themselves who they really are and what they really like.<\/p>\n

Related: OPINION: USF shows that college is what you make of it<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finding this authenticity during my time in college has felt extremely uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

Rather than prioritize who I actually am, I have often focused on catering to the world. I have been who I thought I needed to be to be liked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the digital age under an \u201cinfluencer culture,\u201d authenticity has become almost synonymous with performance, according to a 2025 study published in the Journal of Communication.<\/a><\/p>\n

As USF students live in a highly curated culture of the digital age, many of them choose to live a labeled life \u2014 the clean girl, the gym bro, the red-pill, the activist.<\/p>\n

These students subscribe not only to a certain archetype, but a predetermined set of opinions and preferences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some of us choose an archetype and skip the hard work of building community, forming a worldview and winning our own approval.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under this template, someone else assigns your value \u2014 and it is easier to trust them than to trust yourself.<\/p>\n

But this is the comfortable option.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At USF, you will constantly be navigating new opportunities and meeting new people. This constant newness of life as a college student will make you uncomfortable at first.<\/p>\n

Still, rather than avoiding discomfort, we should chase it and utilize it as a tool for personal development and growth, according to a 2022 study published by students at Cornell and the University of Chicago.<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: OPINION: What freshman me would think of senior me<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Discomfort, often rooted in fear, pain or shame, can be the very thing that saves you from an unexamined life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our avoidance of discomfort often leads us to develop a personal taste that doesn\u2019t truly match us.<\/p>\n

A study by psychologist Asser Mikkel Hestbech<\/a> explains that the concept of the \u201cinner-child\u201d is a primary subconscious force that shouldn\u2019t be forgotten.<\/p>\n

Our lives are often split into a before and after.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The before is characterized by childlike excitement, curiosity and intensity. The after happens following a painful experience \u2014 changing us into someone we believe people will accept, admire and celebrate.<\/p>\n

But there is something so real about the person that you were before the shift.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To develop our personal taste, we must carry our childlike optimism and curiosity with us, seeking the world for new passions and learning experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A great way to start is going to events outside of your comfort zone right here on campus with people you wouldn\u2019t usually interact with. Do it with an open mind and a willingness to learn.<\/p>\n

More than this, we must be relentless in our convictions and stubborn in our idealism \u2014 even when others label them corny or unrealistic in a curated world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related: OPINION: Reminder for USF students: Your grades don\u2019t define you<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

I am aware of all the things I could do to be perceived as better, hotter and more impressive,\u00a0 but they would not be honest or true.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019d rather feel beautiful than look beautiful, so I owe myself honesty.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The person you become after you develop your personal taste may be unpopular, but is respected, inspirational and magnetic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This type of person may not be the crowd favorite, but is deeply known and deeply cherished by a few.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you find the courage to develop your personal taste, you can become polarizing \u2014 and that is more than fine.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have to be liked by everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You may struggle to like your uncurated self. You may find yourself judging others\u2019 uncurated versions. But you have to grow in grace.<\/p>\n

Now, while we are young, is the time to lay down our rules and live. Let\u2019s value connection over applause.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"College is full of discomfort, but self-discovery requires that. ORACLE PHOTO\/RACHELL ROSS USF is full of incredible opportunities…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":141157,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":{"0":"post-141156","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa","8":"tag-tampa","9":"tag-tampa-headlines","10":"tag-tampa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}